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Edenthorn – Interview

Monday 16th April 2018

Hailing from Durham, alternative rock quartet, Edenthorn are due to release their second album on Friday 20th April, and following on from the huge response they’ve had to the singles they’ve already put out, all the signs are pointing in the right direction for this to be another storming release. “Exist” displays the bands ability to write and produce incredible music with a solid rhythm and tight harmonies. “Our main aim is to make sure that our listeners never get bored.” States Edenthorn bassist and backing vocalist Faiba Gardner. “There is nothing worse than listening to an album where every single song sounds like the song before. We don’t like to stick to musical trends, we just like to write good honest music from the heart. We strive to keep the listener entertained, and to take them on a journey with us through our music.”

Could you tell me about your latest single “Mind Like A Minefield” and the meaning behind it?

This is influenced by the experiences that we’ve all had with anxiety and panic attacks and generally stressing and overthinking things. The idea of battling with yourself and your mind, a war within yourself/your mind. But the positive message is ‘I will defeat it, I can beat it, In the end I will win’ the war within.

Who did you work with for the accompanying music video, and how did it feel seeing it complete?

We worked with Ross Hannon of Aytball Film for “Mind Like A Minefield” and our previous release; “Heart’s Still Beating” as well as our forthcoming single “The Unknown”. It is always an interesting and enjoyable experience working with Ross. He is very artistic and creative in terms of putting visuals together, so when we’re actually on set you always get the feeling that the end result will be impressive.

You’ll be releasing your album “Exist” on the 20th April. How are you feeling about getting new music out there, and are there any tracks in particular that you’re excited about being heard?

Judging by the reaction to the first two singles we have released, which have both been extremely well received, we can’t wait to see what reaction we get from the rest of the album. We all have our own favorites, so that is a difficult question but we’re looking forward to our next single release “The Unknown.”

How easy was it to pick the final 11 tracks, and were there any that didn’t make the cut?

There were 14 tracks in total, so 3 didn’t make the final cut. That’s not to say they were weaker tracks, we just felt they stood strong enough on their own either to release later as stand-alone singles or material for the next album.

Could you give me an insight in to the album, and whether there is a theme or a story behind the final tracks?

We never really discussed a theme or story for the album but without us knowing its seemed to have developed into a story of existence, hence the title “EXIST.” Tracks 9,10 and 11 were deliberately placed together as a trio as they are all based on the different stages of loss and grief. As a whole a lot of the songs are based on self awareness, life and existence!

What was the decision behind self-releasing the album, and do you feel this has given you more freedom?

Up to now we’ve enjoyed the freedom of writing, recording and releasing music in our own way and in our own time, it wasn’t really a decision, we just aren’t currently in contract with anyone so it’s by choice as much as it is by that fact. That’s not to say we’re against releasing music under a label in the future, should there be a suitable offer that we feel will benefit us. These days however, a lot can be achieved on your own, so at the moment we’re utilising and exploring all of the avenues in which we can do that to the best of our own abilities.

How would you say this compares to your previous material, and how do you feel you’ve developed as a band over the years?

We would say it fits well nicely with our previous album. This is now our second full length release, both albums have been 11 tracks long. We played a launch show in celebration of the upcoming release and we played 6 tracks from debut album ‘The Maze’ and 6 from the new album ‘Exist’. So that kind of shows we still believe in our previous material as much as the new songs. We have progressed in terms of sound and production for sure. Each time we record we have new skills and knowledge learnt from the last time. We self-produce as well as self-release, Dylan (Lead Guitarist) records, mixes and masters all of our work. He is continuously improving and developing his own skills as a producer and we are all blown away by the result on this new album. We’re all excited and eager to get back in the studio already!!

What’s your writing process as a band, and how do you all come together to create the final track?

It all starts with Dylan mainly. He may have a riff or a few sections, sometimes he comes with fully written pieces of music demos and we then jam that out in a rehearsal room and Kyle then adds melodies and vocals. We all have input in the overall creativity of the songs, both in the studio and rehearsal room.

Do you remember the first gig you ever performed live, and how do you feel you live shows have evolved since then?

Our first gig as Edenthorn was back in 2013, and it was an acoustic showcase gig. We had to come up with stripped back/MTV Unplugged type set list, which was fun! Our live shows have definitely evolved from when we started which all comes down to experience. We never used to think that much about playing live, we just used to play songs… now though, we’re a lot more experienced on how to put a show together to ensure that everybody is having a good time from start to finish!

Where have been your favourite venues to perform?

Trillians in Newcastle is an awesome rock venue that we will continue to go back too! Most recently The Cluny 2 – where we played our album launch party – really surprised us and has been our favourite so far. It has a cool underground vibe to it and has awesome staff, gear and a great sound technician.